Exercise 211Calculus › Single-variable calculus › Differentiation › Mean Value TheoremL1Added 2 Nov 2026
Rolle's theorem on a quartic
#Rolle's theorem#polynomials
Statement
Let . Show that vanishes at least once in .
Hint
Compute and .
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Solution
We have and . So .
is a polynomial, hence continuous on and differentiable on . By Rolle's theorem there exists with .
Remark. We found the existence of a root of without being able to compute it: is a cubic with no pleasant root. Rolle's theorem is an *existence* theorem.